1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation system in which beam light is employed to store an image data in an optical image memory and the image stored therein is read and printed out.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,999 discloses a display in which laser light selectively irradiates liquid crystal cell to display an image on the liquid crystal array. According to the invention disclosed therein, heat of the laser light is utilized to partially change a phase of the liquid crystal, and an image can be formed depending upon an irradiation pattern of the laser light. The liquid crystal cell employed is, for example, a smectic liquid crystal.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication SHO/64-20773 discloses a device in which a thermal writing liquid crystal cell device is employed to form an image. According to the invention disclosed therein, transmitting light through a liquid crystal cell layer or reflecting light therefrom irradiates photosensitive material to make a latent image on the photosensitive material, and an image can be formed based upon the latent image. There are provided three kinds of liquid crystal cells where respective images of primary colors, red (R), green (G) and blue (B), are to be written, and a full color image is composed of the three types of images.
In such a conventional image formation system, an image formation device (printer) receives image data from a single image data output means (e.g., computer) to form an image, namely, print out the image.
However, in a system architecture where such a single image formation device is connected to two or more computers for carrying out the print out of the image data from each computer sequentially, in a situation that a previous image is still remnant in the liquid crystal cell device after an access of one of the computers to the image formation device has completed, that is, staying of an image in the liquid crystal cell device by the previous image data from another computer, the different images overlap or mix with each other in the liquid crystal cell device. Thus, there is a disadvantage that a normal image cannot be obtained.